


borderline desperate boy

by weatheredlaw



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Daemon, Daemons, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-05
Updated: 2012-03-05
Packaged: 2017-11-01 07:13:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/353591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weatheredlaw/pseuds/weatheredlaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The only problem Yugi had after he solved the puzzle was that he couldn't remember his dreams.</p>
            </blockquote>





	borderline desperate boy

**Author's Note:**

> continuation of the "Misfit Warriors" series.

Tristan could not quite see what was so extraordinary about Yugi when he first looked at him. He was small and quiet and had turned them down to go out a handful of times already. They were supposed to be friends, he thought, but he realized that, for someone like Yugi, just hanging out with people was, well...it was new. Something he wasn't used to.

"He's not very special," Circe muttered one evening as Tristan lowered himself into the bath. The water was scalding hot, but his muscles were sore from a severe ass-kicking he'd gotten at his boxing lesson. Circe cackled at him.

"Shut up." Wincing, he finally settled completely into the water. "Yugi's...Yugi's special," he decided. "Joey likes him, and Joey hates everyone." Circe shrugged. "There is _something_ about him. He's just afraid, I think. He doesn't really have any friends. I mean...Yugi and I have been in classes together since we were kids. He was always by himself." Tristan shrugged and dipped his hair into the water and came back up. 

"So he's a loner." Circe licked the end of her foot, tail twitching. "Well, he's sweet, if it means anything." Tristan sighed. "He's very _kind_ I mean. Probably the kindest person we've ever met." 

"I'd agree on that one." Circe's eyes brightened and she slipped into the water and crawled out to curl up on Tristan's chest. He smiled and ran a head over the top of her head.

 

 

The only problem Yugi had after he solved the puzzle was that he couldn't remember his dreams. He knew he was having them, because he'd wake up in a terror, sweating and pleading withing _something_ \-- he just didn't know what it was. He couldn't remember a single second of it. The first night Keeva was biting his arm, trying to wake him up, and he was lashing out, legs tangled in the sheets, soaked with sweat. 

"You're scaring me," she said one morning at breakfast. "I don't know what's hurting you."

"Nothing's hurting me. There's nothing there. I can't remember it."

"I'm worried."

"You never _stop_ worrying," Yugi snapped, pushing his breakfast away. He left for school before his grandfather could yell at him about skipping another meal. Grabbing his backpack, he headed out the door, ready for a quiet walk before things got too crowded -- but he slammed right into Téa, sending them both flying backwards. "T-Téa!" Yugi catapulted himself off the ground and went to help her up. Puck flitted nervously around them both. "You okay?" She smiled and brushed the hair from her face.

"I'm fine. You headed to school?" Yugi nodded. "Let's walk together." She turned around, Puck flying after her and settling onto her shoulder. Yugi felt his cheeks flush and Keeva nip at the back of his knee. He jogged after her and caught up. He hadn't really spent time with Téa since middle school. She was taller now, making him keenly aware of how much he _hadn't_ grown. 

"Do you always go to school early?" Yugi asked, not sure what to say. Téa shrugged. "I don't. Don't walk to school early. Like...like a lot. Yeah." Téa laughed. "Sorry."

"You're okay." She smiled. "Joey's always talking about you. He says you're teaching him to play duel monsters." Yugi nodded. "That's good of you. He needs a distraction. Keeps him out of trouble."

"Always worried about Joey!" Puck chirped, flying up and landing on Téa's head. She sighed.

"Well, someone has to. I--" She cringed as a police car flew by, sirens blaring. Keeva yowled and leapt into Yugi's arms, shivering with fear. Téa looked worriedly at them. "Has she settled?" Yugi frowned. "Sorry. I didn't...I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, it's fine. Puck just settled last year, you know." She lifted her hand and the daemon flew onto a finger. "It was hard." Yugi nodded. "Has she?" Yugi wasn't sure how to answer. Keeva wasn't very helpful either. But Téa must have taken his silence as a _no_. "It's alright. She will, I promise."

"Right." 

"See you in class!" Téa called over her shoulder, heading down the hall to her locker. Yugi stood by his own, still clutching Keeva in his arms. They looked at one another before Yugi grabbed what he needed for homeroom and headed down the hall, still holding his daemon tight.

 

 

That night, he had a dream.

In it, he walked along a cold, stone hall. Water dripped steadily from the ceiling above him, falling into his hair and trickling down his scalp. For some reason, he felt very alone. Desperate for warmth, he reached for Keeva -- but she wasn't there. Yugi felt like the wind had been punched out of him. A painful, howling noise escaped his throat as he fell to his knees, scrambling about and looking for any sign of her. _Keeva! Kee! Where are you? Kee!_

 _Quiet, boy._ Yugi felt claws dig into his shoulder. He twisted around and saw a falcon, her wings spread wide as she launched away from him. Her feathers were so dark they were almost purple -- like a plum. He swallowed his screams and watched as she flew toward a door and it opened. Yugi crawled after her, thinking Keeva might be on the other side. 

He woke up with a shout, Keeva's teeth digging into his arms as she tried to shove him out of bed. "Kee!" Yugi threw his arms around her and held her tight, still remembering how he'd felt _limbless_ without her -- even if it had only been a dream. "I remember it," he murmured. 

"Don't tell me," she said, voice hoarse and shaking. "I don't want to know."


End file.
